Meat quality of lamb: Pre-slaughter fattening on cultivated or mountain range pastures

Many consumers perceive lamb meat from mountain pastures to be of superior quality, a quality that may be altered if lambs are kept for a longer period on cultivated pastures before slaughtering. The objective of this experiment was to compare sensory profile and fatty acid composition in meat from lambs slaughtered directly from unimproved mountain pastures with meat from lambs raised on unimproved mountain pastures and fattened on biodiverse cultivated pastures for 26, 39 and 42 days before slaughtering. The experiment was conducted at two different locations in Norway in 2006 and 2007, with a total of 124 Norwegian Crossbred Sheep lambs. Loin samples of M. Longissimus dorsi from lambs above a body weight of 40 kg were selected and analysed for sensory attributes. Fatty acid composition was determined in the subcutaneous fat over the Longissimus dorsi. Small but significant differences were found in hardness, tenderness, fattiness, metallic and rancid flavour, and in polyunsaturated fatty acids. This indicates that to a small extent pre-slaughter fattening on cultivated pastures alters meat characteristics.     

Parameter distribution models for estimation of population based left ventricular deformation using sparse fiducial markers

We present a method to estimate left ventricular (LV) motion based on three-dimensional (3-D) images that can be derived from any anatomical tomographic or 3-D modality, such as echocardiography, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. A finite element mesh of the LV was constructed to fit the geometry of the wall. The mesh was deformed by optimizing the nodal parameters to the motion of a sparse number of fiducial markers that were manually tracked in the images through the cardiac cycle. A parameter distribution model (PDM) of LV deformations was obtained from a database of MR tagging studies. This was used to filter the calculated deformation and incorporate a priori information on likely motions. The estimated deformation obtained from 13 normal untagged studies was compared with the deformation obtained from MR tagging. The end systolic (ES) circumferential and longitudinal strain values matched well with a mean difference of 0.1 +/- 3.2% and 0.3 +/- 3.0%, respectively. The calculated apex-base twist angle at ES had a mean difference of 1.0 +/- 2.3 degrees. We conclude that fiducial marker fitting in conjunction with a PDM provides accurate reconstruction of LV deformation in normal subjects.     

Formation mechanism and growth of MNbO3, M=K,Na by in situ X‐ray diffraction

Hydrothermal synthesis is a well‐established method to produce complex oxides, and is a potential interesting approach to synthesize stoichiometric lead‐free piezoelectric K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃. Due to challenges in obtaining the desired stoichiometry of this material, more knowledge is needed on how the end‐members, KNbO₃ and NaNbO₃, are nucleating and growing. Here, we report on the formation mechanisms and growth during hydrothermal synthesis of KNbO₃ and NaNbO₃ by in situ synchrotron powder X‐ray diffraction. We show that tetragonal KNbO₃ crystallites form from dissolved T‐Nb₂O₅ at 250°C‐300°C and 250 bar while orthorhombic NaNbO₃ forms via several crystalline intermediate phases at 225°C‐325°C and 250 bar. The crystallite size of KNbO₃ is decreasing while the crystallite size of NaNbO₃ is increasing with increasing temperature, demonstrating that the presence of intermediate phases is highly important for the nucleation and growth of the final product. The different crystallization schemes explain the challenge in obtaining stoichiometric K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ by hydrothermal synthesis.     

Introduction of long-chain branches in linear polyethylene by light cross-linking with 1,3-benzenedisulfonyl azide

Metallocene synthesised HDPE with M_w=82,000 and M_n=40,000 was modified with small amounts of 1,3-benzenedisulfonyl azide by reactive extrusion at 200 °C with the purpose to form long-chain branches. At the processing temperature the two azide groups decompose to nitrenes that work as cross-linkers for PE. Cross-linking occurs primarily by insertion of singlet nitrenes into CH bonds. Size exclusion chromatography revealed that the modification resulted in the formation of a long-chain branched (LCB) high molecular weight fraction. The LCB was detectable with SEC for concentrations above 100 ppm corresponding to approximately 0.03–0.04 branch points pr 10⁴ carbon. No signs of the formation of low molecular species due to chain scission were observed. Dynamical mechanical analysis and shear creep test showed sign of long chain branching at concentrations down to the same limit as SEC (100 ppm). These signs were thermorheological complexity, increased zero shear viscosity, increased shear thinning and increased recovery compliance. The cross-linking efficiency of 1,3-BDSA were estimated to 40–60% from comparison of SEC data with random cross-linking theory and traditional SEC-LCB analyses.     

Experiments on bioassay sensitivity in the study of allelopathy

The purpose of these experiments was to study the effects of various experimental procedures and conditions on bioassay sensitivity in allelopathic studies. The following factors were considered: bioassay methods, choice of test species, the effect of osmotic potential on germination and growth of the test species, growth in dark or in light and the effect of concentrating the extracts in vacuo. Extracts from rape and rye were used in the studies to act as allelopathic agents. Ryegrass appeared as the most sensitive test species when grown horizontally on quartz sand, while radish was the most sensitive test species when grown on filter paper in transparent boxes at a 45° angle. Root length was the most sensitive growth variable measured. Percent germination appeared a more sensitive measure than the speed of germination index, S, when germinated seeds were counted after one and two days for radish and ryegrass, respectively. A rise in the osmotic potential affected germination more than root length, and radish appeared more sensitive to a rise in osmotic potential than ryegrass. A confounding of germination and root length inhibition may therefore, give misleading results.     

Detection of Ring and Adatom Defects in Activated Disordered Carbon via Fluctuation Nanobeam Electron Diffraction

How the structure of disordered porous carbons evolves during their activation is particularly poorly understood. This problem endures primarily because of a lack of high‐resolution 3D techniques for the characterization of amorphous and highly disordered structure. To address this, the measurement of the 3D pair‐angle distribution function using nanodiffraction patterns from high‐energy electrons is demonstrated. These rich multiatom correlations are measured for a disordered carbon and they clearly show the structural evolution during activation. They provide previously inaccessible bond‐angle information and direct evidence for the presence of ring and adatom defects. An increase in the short‐range order and the number of fivefold ring defects with activation are observed, indicating stress relaxation by increasing curvature. These observations support models of disordered porous carbons based on curved graphene networks and explain how large amounts of free volume can be created with surprisingly small changes in the average ratios of tetrahedral to graphitic bonding.     

Study of the Composition of Zirconium based Chromium free Conversion Layers on Aluminium

The composition of chromium free conversion layers on aluminium, based on zirconium has been determined using complementary surface analytical techniques: SEM, AES, XPS, SIMS. The zirconium based chromium free conversion layer consists of a two layered structure, with total thickness less than 10 nm, in which the bottom layer contains only Al and O, while the top layer contains also a fluorinated zirconium compound and probably a polymer that is concentrated towards the outer surface. In a second part the influence of the conversion time on the thickness of the film was studied using AES, SE and EIS. It is concluded that the zirconium based conversion layers are formed within ten seconds and a successive increase in conversion time results only in a very slight thickening of the layer.     

Capping efficiency of various carbonaceous and mineral materials for in situ remediation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran contaminated marine sediments: sediment-to-water fluxes and bioaccumulation in boxcosm tests

The efficiency of thin-layer capping in reducing sediment-to-water fluxes and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, hexachlorobenzene, and octachlorostyrene was investigated in a boxcosm experiment. The influence of cap thickness (0.5-5 cm) and different cap materials was tested using a three-factor experimental design. The cap materials consisted of a passive material (coarse or fine limestone or a marine clay) and an active material (activated carbon (AC) or kraft lignin) to sequester the contaminants. The cap thickness and the type of active material were significant factors, whereas no statistically significant effects of the type of passive material were observed. Sediment-to-water fluxes and bioaccumulation by the two test species, the surface-dwelling Nassarius nitidus and the deep-burrowing Nereis spp., decreased with increased cap thickness and with addition of active material. Activated carbon was more efficient than lignin, and a ~90% reduction of fluxes and bioaccumulation was achieved with 3 cm caps with 3.3% AC. Small increases in fluxes with increased survival of Nereis spp. indicated that bioturbation by Nereis spp. affected the fluxes.